


Trust Fall

by LadySokolov



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game)
Genre: Blindfolds, First Kiss, M/M, Spoilers, Tickling, Trust Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 13:21:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13502364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySokolov/pseuds/LadySokolov
Summary: “We take turns,” John had said. “One of us gets tied up and blindfolded, and for the next ten minutes the other person can do whatever they want to them. You know, take their frustrations out in whatever way they want.”Bruce wasn’t so sure that it was a good idea, but John seemed determined, and if he thought this might help to strengthen their relationship then Bruce was willing to give it a shot.





	Trust Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Contains mild spoilers for 'What Ails You'.

Bruce tugged at the fabric binding his wrists together. John had left it pretty loose; loose enough that Bruce was sure he could easily escape if he wanted to.

He didn’t want to escape though. That would defeat the purpose of the whole thing.

He and John had been through a lot over the past few days. There were still issues on both sides that hadn’t been fully resolved; past hurts and frustrations and trust issues that needed to be sorted out if the two of them were ever going to work together with any amount of harmony.

And so John had suggested this little ‘trust exercise’.

“We take turns,” John had said. “One of us gets tied up and blindfolded, and for the next ten minutes the other person can do whatever they want to them. You know, take their frustrations out in whatever way they want.”

Bruce wasn’t so sure that it was a good idea, but John seemed determined, and if he thought this might help to strengthen their relationship then Bruce was willing to give it a shot.

“Oh, and whatever happens,” John had added only once Bruce had already agreed to the idea. “We can’t hold a grudge or get angry at each other for whatever happens while we’re blindfolded, all right?”

John looked up at him then, eyes pleading and full of hope, and Bruce really didn’t have it in him to disagree, not when John was looking at him like that.

“All right,” he said. “I promise. No grudges.”

He was reasonably sure that John wouldn’t hurt him too badly anyway, and well, if John did hit him a couple of times then Bruce really wouldn’t be able to blame him for it; not after everything they had been through; not after all the hurt that Bruce had unwittingly caused.

John had insisted that Bruce be blindfolded first. Bruce wasn’t sure why, but he had agreed to it nevertheless; partially because this whole exercise was making him nervous, and getting the worst part of it out of the way as soon as possible seemed like a good idea, and partially because the one thing that he planned to do to John while John was blindfolded was the sort of thing that might make his partner not want to be around him ever again. Bruce was sure that John had meant his promise not to hold a grudge, but that didn’t mean he would still want to be Bruce’s friend, not after this.

“You all right there buddy?” John asked.

Bruce looked up at him. The other man was holding one of Bruce’s ties in his hands; a dark purple thing that Bruce never really wore and which the two of them had agreed to use as a blindfold, and Bruce felt his throat going dry as he thought of John tying it around his head and temporarily blinding him.

“I’m fine,” Bruce said.

“You sure?” John asked. “You don’t look fine. You know what? We don’t have to do this now if you don’t want to. Heck, we don’t have to do this at all.”

John let out a low chuckle then. The sort of chuckle Bruce knew was a sure sign his partner was nervous.

“It’s fine,” he said. It would have to be fine. He had already made up his mind that he was going to go through with the exercise. “I trust you John.”

Those three words had come to mean so very much to both of them, and John froze for a moment, staring down in wonder at Bruce, before nodding.

“Okay,” he said, before smiling at Bruce and leaning forward.

Bruce took a deep breath as John’s hands moved around to the back of Bruce’s head. Everything went dark as John tied the makeshift blindfold tightly in place.

“All right,” John said as he pulled back. “You all good there buddy? Not too uncomfortable?”

“I’m fine,” Bruce said again.

He trusted John. He did, but that didn’t stop the dark and the relative helplessness of the situation being absolutely terrifying.

Bruce listened closely to the other man as John fiddled around with his phone for a moment.

“There we go,” John said, and Bruce listened to what he thought must have been the sound of John putting his phone back down on the floor. “Ten minutes.”

Everything went silent then.

Bruce’s heart pounded in his chest as he waited for the first blow to come. He waited for John to punish him for everything that he had done; to punish him for lying, and for using John, and for not being there for John when he should have been.

But the blow never came. Instead he felt a weight settle on top of his legs, and he realized after a moment that John had actually climbed on top of him and was sitting in his lap. John was even lighter than he looked, and far from being uncomfortable, having John’s weight in his lap seemed right, and for a moment Bruce wanted nothing more than to slip the bindings around his wrists and wrap his arms around the other man and hold him close.

Bruce stayed perfectly still though, still and silent as he waited for John to take out his vengeance. John could still do anything to him, and the knowledge was simultaneously exciting and terrifying.

Long, soft fingers reached out; John’s hands brushing over Bruce’s clothed stomach with a feather-light touch. They moved around, always teasingly light, almost as though searching for something, mapping out the lines of Bruce’s torso as though memorizing each and every one of them.

They danced up and down Bruce’s side, searching for _something_ , until they reached a sensitive point on Bruce’s back that caused a brief giggle to emerge from Bruce’s throat.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” he gasped, having failed to keep the laughter back. “But that tickles.”

He had barely finished speaking when John’s fingers danced over that particular spot on Bruce’s back again. Another burst of laughter emerged from Bruce’s throat, and it was in that moment he realized exactly what John was doing.

Tickle torture? It wasn’t nearly as horrible as anything that Bruce had been imagining.

Bruce had never been particularly ticklish, but John’s fingertips searched every inch of Bruce’s chest and arms, questing in the crook of his elbows and the curve of his neck, seeking out every single sensitive spot he could find and attacking them with merciless precision.

Before long Bruce was a giggling wreck, and he couldn’t help but squirm a little as John’s hands travelled down towards his lower back and then up to his shoulder blades. Occasionally he would hear John let out a cackle in reply to his own bursts of laughter as well.

He was tempted to cry out and beg for John to stop, but he forced himself not to. This was the kindest punishment Bruce could imagine, and he would gladly let John tickle him without complaint for hours if John thought that was what was needed to fix their friendship.

After a few minutes the tickling stopped, and John’s hands came to rest on the flat of Bruce’s stomach once more. His fingertips fluttered around for a moment, and Bruce braced himself for the next round of tickling.

John was clearly doing something, but Bruce had no idea what. He could feel John’s fingers occasionally brushing gently against him; could feel the fabric of his shirt moving a little. It wasn’t until John undid the second button that Bruce realized John was slowly unbuttoning his shirt, starting at the bottom and working his way up.

Too many of his more guilty fantasies of late had included John undressing him, and Bruce’s breath hitched in his throat as all sorts of erotic suggestions as to what John intended to do to him came to mind. Bruce told himself not to get too excited, and tried to focus on keeping his now pounding and erratic heartbeat under control. If he wasn’t careful then his body was going to betray him and give away the less than innocent aspects of his affection for John.

He wanted those hands on him; wanted to feel John touching him without the fabric of his shirt getting in the way, but he had not allowed himself to admit that to anyone but himself, and he was sure that whatever John was about to do to him, sex would have no place in it.

John finished unbuttoning Bruce’s shirt, and Bruce tensed as he waited to find out what John was going to do next. He expecting more tickling. He craved, but didn’t dare to even hope for something more intimate.

John’s hands opened Bruce’s shirt, exposing his chest. Bruce heard the other man’s breath catch, and then John’s hands were on him again, their touch still almost painfully feather-light.

One of John’s hands settled on the intricate pattern of pale lines that snaked across Bruce’s chest, originating at his left shoulder and stretching down over his arm and chest; a painful gift from Lady Arkham the year before. The other found a crescent shaped scar that Bane had left on him only a week earlier.

John’s fingers moved all over Bruce’s chest, mapping out every single one of his scars, always so gentle, almost reverential in the way they traced their shapes.

John’s phone let out a single, quiet ‘beep’.

“Only one minute left, huh?” John murmured, sounding rather sad.

Bruce wondered whether John realized that so far he hadn’t done anything that Bruce wouldn’t have allowed him to do under perfectly normal circumstances, if only John had asked. He wondered whether he should have given explanations for each of the scars that John lingered on; whether John would have appreciated that.

He readied himself to explain whichever scar John’s hands found next, but John surprised him again by leaning forwards and wrapping his arms tightly around Bruce. John held him as close as he could, their chests pressed flush against one another, and nuzzled into Bruce’s shoulder.

They stayed like that for the remaining minute, John’s breath warm against Bruce’s neck, and Bruce wished with all of his might that he could move his arms, wrap them around John and hold him close. He didn’t want this moment to ever end, even if that meant keeping the blindfold and the restraints. His whole world had narrowed down to the smell and feel and sound of John against him; his warmth, the feeling of John’s soft hair as it brushed against Bruce’s cheek, and the soft, comforting sound of John’s steady breathing.

When the alarm on John’s phone went off, it felt like someone was slowly trying to tear Bruce’s heart out through his chest. John groaned, as though he was just as sorry that the ten minutes were up as Bruce was, and Bruce felt the other man’s weight leaving his lap, and then, after a couple of seconds, the alarm fell silent.

“You didn’t have to stop,” Bruce said as John reached out to untie the blindfold. “You know that, right?”

“No, I did,” John replied. “I have to give you your turn as well, otherwise this isn’t fair.”

Within moments John had untied Bruce’s hands as well.

Bruce got to his feet, wondering whether he should wrap his arms around John and continue the hug. John had sat down in the chair before Bruce could make up his mind however, and Bruce once again felt that sinking feeling in his chest, as though he was trying to hold onto something that kept slipping out of his grasp.

“Okay buddy,” John said, his hands already clasped together at the back of the chair. “Tie me up.”

John was putting up a brave front, but Bruce could tell that he was scared. Apparently he was just as nervous and eager to get this part over and done with as Bruce had been.

Bruce tied the other man’s hands behind his back, leaving even more give than John had given him and making sure that John wouldn’t be any more uncomfortable than was absolutely necessary.

When Bruce came back round to John’s front, tie in hand, John let out a brief, nervous cackle. Bruce leaned in and placed a hand on John’s shoulder.

“You know that I’m not going to hurt you, right?” he asked John.

John’s laughter stopped, and he stared up at Bruce with one raised eyebrow, his mouth open in confusion. Bruce had seen that look before. Somehow it always managed to make him feel like an idiot.

“You’re not supposed to spoil the surprise of it like that Bruce,” John said. “But well… I mean…”

He took a deep breath and then smiled up at Bruce.

“I trust you,” he said, before winking at Bruce.

Bruce smiled back and then leaned in close to tie the makeshift blindfold around John’s eyes. He leaned down and reset the timer on John’s phone before standing back up and observing his partner closely.

“So I can do anything to you? Anything at all?” Bruce asked. “And no matter what it is, you have to forgive me for it, right?”

Part of Bruce hoped that John would object, or at least have the sense to put some limiters on what was allowed, because what Bruce had promised himself he would do still seemed like it might be enough to completely ruin what had turned into one of the most important relationships in his life.

“Anything,” John replied with a smile

He already seemed far more relaxed than Bruce had been at this point in the proceedings.

Bruce didn’t even know what he was going to do with most of his ten minutes. He should have been angry with John, for the lives that he had taken, and for the chaos he had caused, but he couldn’t be. They’d both already been through so much, and John had been so kind and gentle with his own ten minutes.

For a moment Bruce had the insidious thought that perhaps John had insisted on going first so that he could use his turn to be ridiculously nice to Bruce and ensure that Bruce wouldn’t hurt him when their positions were reversed.

Bruce immediately scoffed at that idea. It wasn’t that John was above such subtle manipulation, but Bruce never would have been able to bring himself to hurt John anyway, especially not while he was blind and helpless like this. He hoped that John knew that.

Bruce found himself staring down at the other man. John didn’t look the same with his eyes covered. Looking at John’s emerald eyes never failed to take Bruce’s breath away. They were just so bright and so captivating, just like John himself.

He was tempted to just curl up in John’s lap and resume the hug that John had begun, but he wasn’t sure that John would be as comfortable taking Bruce’s weight as Bruce had been taking John’s.

“Bruce?” John asked, tilting his blindfolded head. “Come on. The clock’s ticking.”

“I know, I know,” Bruce said. “Just give me a moment.”

“You can do anything that you want to me,” John said, wriggling a little in the chair, his voice low and mischievous. “Anything at all.”

That really wasn’t helping things. Now Bruce was imagining several incredibly inappropriate things that he could do. John’s legs were already spread fairly wide. It would be so easy to kneel between them, to remove John’s cock from his pants and begin to suck.

But no. He couldn’t do that.

Perhaps kneeling wasn’t such a bad idea though.

Bruce dropped to his knees beside John’s feet, wrapped his arms around John’s waist and rested his head on the other man’s leg. John moved his legs together, giving Bruce a larger, more comfortable pillow to rest his head on, and making it easier for Bruce to hold John’s waist.

Bruce stayed there for a few minutes, listening to the soft sound of John’s breathing and savoring the other man’s smell and the feeling of him in Bruce’s arms. He wanted more than this. He wanted to stare into John’s eyes and feel the other man’s body pressed against his own; wanted to kiss him until they were both breathless and the only thing that he could think of was John.

For now though, this would have to be enough.

After a few minutes Bruce stood up. He watched John closely, noticing how the other man grew just a little more tense as he waited for Bruce’s next move.

Bruce wasn’t even sure what he was going to do until his hands reached out to run over John’s cheeks, fingers tracing over almost impossible beautiful cheekbones and then down to John’s jaw. Bruce ran a thumb over John’s lower lip, and John gasped.

They stayed frozen like that for what seemed an age. Bruce was so tempted to slip his thumb inside John’s slightly open mouth, if only to see how John would react. John’s lips were already twitching, as though they were just aching to plant a kiss on Bruce’s thumb, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking on Bruce’s part.

He pulled his hands back from John’s face, and moved them further up to run them through John’s hair. It was so soft, and as soon as Bruce started caressing it he found that he couldn’t stop. John meanwhile was acting like a cat being petted, pressing into the touch and letting out pleased little hums as Bruce worked.

It was nice; just as nice as John hugging him had been, and Bruce kept it up until he heard John’s phone once again let out a single beep, letting Bruce know that he only had a minute left.

His hand stilled its movements. Bruce froze completely. It was now or never.

He knew that he was being a coward, but he also knew that he probably wasn’t ever going to get another chance like this.

“You have to forgive me for this,” he said, more to psych himself up than to actually speak to John, but John responded nevertheless.

“Of course,” John said. “Seriously Bruce, whatever you want to do, do it. You’re running out of time.”

John was right.

Bruce’s whole body suddenly felt too heavy. He was so nervous, but he forced himself to put his fears aside, wiped his hands, which suddenly felt too clammy, on the side of his pants, and steeled himself for what was about to happen.

John had gone still again.

Bruce reached out, placing one hand on each of John’s cheeks, and then, before he could second guess himself any more than he already had, he surged forward and pressed his lips to John’s own.

Bruce poured every ounce of love and passion that he had kept bottled up inside of him for so long into that kiss; every wayward urge to reach out and hold and touch and devour coming together in that one moment of desperate, risky indulgence.

At first John didn’t move at all, and Bruce started to worry that he really had messed up everything, but then John let out a loud, low, desperate-sounding moan that made Bruce’s heart twist, and then John was kissing back, opening his mouth to Bruce, and pressing back with a hunger just as tangible as Bruce’s own.

It was incredible, and Bruce practically melted against John. He wrapped his arms around John’s body, pulling him closer and groaning loudly as John’s tongue slipped inside of his mouth.

He was so swept up in the kiss that he barely noticed when the phone’s alarm rang, letting them know that Bruce’s ten minutes were up. Bruce pulled back from the kiss and made to get up, but he suddenly found John’s arms wrapping around him and keeping him in place.

“Ignore it. Please,” John begged, before pulling Bruce close and resuming the kiss.

Bruce could only guess that John had slipped his bonds when the alarm had gone off. It wasn’t a bad idea all things considered. He certainly didn’t want to stop kissing John any time soon.

The next time their mouths parted Bruce took a moment to reach up and remove the blindfold from around John’s eyes. He needed to look at them; wanted to see John’s beautiful emerald eyes staring up at him.

When John’s eyes met with his own Bruce felt as though he had forgotten how to breathe. God, they were so beautiful, but he couldn’t stare into John’s eyes and kiss him at the same time, and soon John had resumed the kiss, practically devouring Bruce’s mouth while all the while John’s phone continued to let out its harsh trill from its place beside them on the floor.

Bruce was sure that the phone was getting louder, and eventually he pulled back from John, although it was with more than a little reluctance. John’s mouth chased after his own, but Bruce reached out, holding John back, at least for the time being.

“One of us needs to turn that alarm off,” Bruce said, before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to John’s forehead.

John let out a loud, displeased groan, but it didn’t stop Bruce from getting to his feet and stumbling over to the phone to turn it off.

He got back to his feet, legs shaking despite the fact that he and John hadn’t done anything more than kiss.

He had been intending to immediately return to the chair and to John, wanting nothing more than to start kissing him again, but when Bruce turned around he discovered that John had gotten to his feet and was standing right behind Bruce.

“You know,” he said, reaching out to place a hand on Bruce’s shoulder, slipping his fingers beneath the still-open shirt. The warmth of John’s hand against Bruce’s skin was enough to send a pleased shiver down Bruce’s spine. “You could have done that any time that you wanted.”

He winked at Bruce again, and sent him a grin that was so devious it was almost predatory. It sent another shiver down Bruce’s back, and oh god, he wanted to be devoured by that grin so badly; wanted John to kiss him and touch him and consume him completely.

“Really?” Bruce asked, raising one cocky eyebrow at John despite the fact that he was feeling anything but cocky.

“Really,” John practically purred, stepping closer to Bruce and throwing his other arm around Bruce’s shoulders.

“Well, you could have seen my scars any time too,” Bruce said. “Or hugged me. All that you had to do was ask.”

John seemed to consider that for a moment, and Bruce did not miss the way he glanced down at Bruce’s still bare chest, or the way his eyes seemed to linger on it for longer than would have been appropriate if their relationship had still been purely platonic.

“What about the tickling?” John finally asked, tearing his eyes away from Bruce’s chest to smile up at him once more.

Bruce cringed.

“Eh, I think I’d prefer to repeat all of the other things that we got up to,” John said, echoing Bruce’s own thoughts on the matter.

John pulled back from Bruce. He hand wrapped around one of Bruce’s wrists and he began to guide him back towards the chair.

He gestured for Bruce to sit back down. Bruce did and before long he found himself with a lap full of John Doe and this time they were both smiling and eager. This time he could wrap his arms around John and pull him close and oh god… Just holding him like this was absolute heaven.

“I’m still glad that we did those trust exercises,” John whispered into the crook of Bruce’s neck.

“Yeah,” Bruce whispered back as he ran a hand through John’s hair. “Me too.”

John lifted his head up. They looked into each other’s eyes for a couple of seconds, and then they were both closing the few inches that lay between them, their lips pressing hungrily against one another’s.

This time it was a very long time before they parted.


End file.
